Starved
by SeraphimHelix
Summary: -*Artist AU*-Loki, a starving artist disowned by his family, meets his brother's beautiful fiance on a fateful afternoon.
1. Chapter 1

The creases and folds of Loki's knuckles were stained with paint. He moved his slender fingers slowly as he studied his hands, analyzing the foreshortening that came with his movement as only an artist would. These hands told his story.

A white scar graced the incline on the knuckles on his left hand. This was the scar Loki received when he and Thor had gotten into a fight several years ago. The cause of this quarrel plagued Loki's mind constantly. He'd never forgiven Odin for what he did to him, even after his death. Thor had clearly been the only son he sought love from, so Loki remained apathetic.

His eyes journeyed down from his knuckles to the veins that scaled his hands with blue and purple. These were the same veins that had protruded with fury as his father told him Thor would carry his legacy. These were the veins that trembled as Loki had experienced fits of anxiety in his lonely apartment. These veins kept him alive in a life that felt like death.

A sharp ring of the doorbell interrupted his thoughts and Loki stood from his tarnished metal stool. He lightly kicked away bits of art supplies and paper here and there with his bare feet as he emerged from his living room. Situated in such a small apartment, this living room was where Loki did almost everything. A modest, narrow kitchen had been shabbily built next to it, and art supplies were inappropriately strewn along the counter. Loki swore under his breath as he grabbed a footstool and dragged it in front of the door. The imbeciles who built this apartment put the peephole far too high on the door. Loki stood at a height of 6ft 1 and still needed a few inches to reach it.

Balancing one foot on the step, he leaned into the door. Long golden hair was the first thing he noticed but, his brain didn't quite process who the person in the warped, circular image was for a few moments. Thor shifted impatiently outside with only the forehead of a brunette visible to Loki next to him. Loki angrily kicked the stool out of the way and cracked the door open.

"It's been two years, brother. Why do you visit me now?" Loki growled, the pain clear in his spiteful voice.

A small, dainty hand thrust from the brunette's side to Loki's field of vision. The ring finger was adorned with a gaudy silver ring covered in gleaming diamonds.

"I'm Jane," The petite woman said as Loki realized she intended to shake his hand. "I'm Thor's fiance. It's great to finally meet you." Her lipgloss shimmered as her mouth spread into a smile.

_Fiance. Thor is getting married._ "Come in." Loki swung the door wide open, leading them inside his unkempt apartment. "How is Asgard doing?" He already knew what the answer to this would be. Asgard, Thor's real estate empire, was of course as successful as ever. Odin passed down the entirety of his company to Thor and had not given a single penny to Loki.

"Very well." Thor straightened his suit and sat at the dining room table, eyeing the old chair skeptically as if it had not met his standards.

Jane happily seated herself next to him as she rummaged through her purse. Loki leaned against the back of his torn couch, facing them with his arms crossed.

"I'll invite you to the wedding in just a minute," Jane bit her lip, tossing a few items on the table. "If I can actually find the invitation."

"Well, Thor is a lucky man to be marrying a woman as charming as yourself." Loki couldn't help but smile at Jane. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up, returning his smile.

"Thank you, Loki. You're very sweet." She resumed her search for the invitation.

"Loki," Thor began, exhaling through his nose and scraping his beard. "Have you had any success in your art?"

"I'm an artist." Loki shrugged. "Are any artists truly successful? Some have wealth but no confidence in their work. Others have poverty but have a surplus of pride. I, on the other hand, possess no money or pride. I live every day on my next sale which depends on whether people have confidence in me. My opinion doesn't matter at all. In the end, the world really is about money, isn't it? But, that is only this world. The world beyond ours, the one we reach when we die, does not judge us on our wealth but rather on our worth. And that is why a poor, unconfident artist like myself cannot succeed, whether in life or in death."

The room had fallen silent. Jane was frozen in her seat, her hands stuffed in her handbag and her eyes glued on Loki.

"You're right." Thor said. "All that matters in this world is money. So, you cannot depend on your philosophies to pay for your food."

"Thor." Jane nudged him. "Don't say that. That's terrible."

"It's alright, Jane, you mustn't defend me." Loki walked to Jane, his rather tight black pants stretching as his legs moved. "Here." He snatched the white letter from her breast pocket with a grin.

She laughed at her ignorance as she put her wallet and keys back into her purse. "Right under my nose…" She muttered.

Loki stuck his thumb inside the corner of the envelope. The lack of any contrast between Loki's skin and the white paper was alarmingly strange. But, after all, Loki didn't spend much time outside at all. He slid his thumb along the fold, tearing the paper as it moved. He took out the small card and read the details of the invitation while absently combing through his hair.  
>"It's at your house? I expected something much more extravagant from you." He smirked at his brother.<p>

"Yes, but most people's living quarters don't look like yours." Thor retorted.

"Thor, please." Jane placed a hand on his upper arm.

"Yes, Thor, please." Loki scoffed.

"I came here to ask you to be my best man." Thor said suddenly, catching Loki off-guard.

"And I graciously decline." Loki tossed the invitation on the kitchen counter.

Jane rose from her seat, the chair scraping against the floor loudly. "You have to! He's your brother. Come on, just bury the hatchet already."

Loki tilted his head as he contemplated what to do. His brother had without a doubt disowned him the same way his father did. Thor hadn't questioned Odin at all. He simply cut off all ties with Loki and let him live in poverty. But, this woman, so delicate and beautiful, seemed to care for Loki without even knowing him. Her sincerity was clear and her motives were kind. So, as Loki looked at this woman, he made a decision that even surprised himself.

"I'll do it." He said to Jane. He never even glanced in Thor's direction. "I'll be his best man."


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm so glad you came to see us." Jane said between a sip of tea. "It's great to see you and your brother getting along."

"Yeah." Loki nodded passively. Thor gave a strained smile to Jane.

Loki couldn't believe he agreed to this. Just yesterday he had not only decided to go to Thor's wedding, but he was also going to be his best man. As in, the most important person to the groom besides his bride. He couldn't even begin to imagine all the false things he'd have to say in his speech to appease Jane. But, here he was, sipping tea in Thor's dining room pretending that he hadn't been shunned and abandoned by his family.

"Do you have a suit to wear to the wedding?" Jane inquired. Of course Loki didn't have a suit. He was dirt poor. "If you don't we can get you one."

Thor cleared his throat, disgruntled by the proposition. "That's not necessary. He can borrow one of mine."

"One of yours?" Loki barely contained his smile. "Are you serious?"

It was an absolutely ridiculous idea. Thor was taller than Loki and far more muscular. Thor's suit would hang off him like a blanket.

"Thor," Jane frowned. "I don't think that-"

"It's fine." He insisted. "He can try it on."

Thor's motives became clear to Loki. After all these years, after all of Loki's suffering, Thor refused to spend a single penny on him. Loki unconsciously shook his head with disgust. He stuffed a small rectangular biscuit into his mouth so he wouldn't have to say anything more.

"Okay." Jane said slowly and unsurely. "Loki, would you like to go to our closet so you can try on the suit?" She stood, walking to the door and leading him out of the room.

He nodded amiably and followed her. He walked down the hallway, noticing the impeccably clean hardwood floors and the neatly hung pictures of Jane and Thor on the walls. It was like something from a magazine.

"In here." Jane said quietly, leading him into the master bedroom. "Excuse the mess."

There really wasn't any mess but, of course people always find the need to say that. Loki followed into the expansive walk-in closet and was handed a plastic covered suit.

"You can put it on in here. I'll wait in the room." She slid the door shut.

The moment Loki pulled the plastic covering off the suit, he knew he'd look ridiculous in it. It was conspicuously large and he contemplated just hanging it back up. But, Jane was waiting for him, and he didn't want to insult her in any way. So, he pulled off his loose long-sleeved white top and dark torn jeans and adorned himself in the plethora of unnecessary material.

He looked into the mirror and saw the pathetically skinny man staring back at him. He felt as if though Thor had reduced him to nothing. Loki could not fit into this suit the same way he couldn't fit Odin's expectations. Thor was the bigger brother. The more important one. The more successful one. The one that was worth anything at all.

He slid the door open solemnly, not meeting Jane's gaze. "It's big but, I'll just have to make do." He said quietly. "I don't have anything else." Never in his entire life had he felt so embarrassed.

"No." Jane said with certainty. She stood up from the edge of her bed and faced him, one arm on each of his shoulders. "Don't listen to Thor. You go change out of that thing and I'll drive you to a store where we can get you a proper suit and some shoes."

Loki was a little taken aback. Jane had completely ignored Thor's wishes for a man she had only met yesterday. And going against Thor was no small feat. Everything about him was threatening.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked.

Jane nodded. "Of course. It's my decision, so if Thor doesn't like it that's his problem."

A curious smile played on Loki's lips as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Thank you. You're very kind, Jane."

As he pulled away, her face flushed into a pale red. It puzzled her that she was so embarrassed considering that Loki was her brother-in-law and what he did was simply a friendly gesture. But, something about the way he did it made her inexplicably flustered. He did it so softly, with so much affection. Judging from the way his eyes were now fixed on her lips, he had wanted much more. Jane pulled herself out of her thoughts and took a step back.

"You better get changed." She muttered.

Loki flashed her a sly grin before he slid the closet door shut. Jane mulled over Thor and Loki's feud as she waited. She had never understood why Thor would leave his brother so helpless simply because their father favored Thor. She thought Loki must have been an awful person, but from what she had seen, he was just damaged. _I'll ask him._ She thought. _I should hear his side of the story._

"Loki," She called, lightly tapping on the door. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yes, come in." He said to her.

As she got into the closet, her eyes widened immediately. This man was shameless!

Loki stood in front of her wearing only a pair of black boxers and an unassuming expression. His appearance was so strikingly different from Thor's. The combination of his long black hair and ghostly white skin was so beautifully unusual. His body looked emaciated in comparison to Thor's but, in the most strangely attractive way. He was delicate, yet masculine.

"Your question?" Loki grinned, noticing Jane's blatant staring.

"Um," Her eyes flitted away from him. "I'll ask you later. Just finish up, okay?"

He let out a small laugh under his breath. "Alright."


	3. Chapter 3

"What kind of suit were you looking for?" The dark haired woman at the counter eyed Loki as if he were a doll ready to be dressed.

Loki felt incredibly out of place in this shop. He hadn't stepped foot in such a high-end place since before he left Odin's home.

"I think a fitted suit would be best with his slim frame." Jane decided.

"My slim frame?" Loki smirked. "I knew you were checking me out."

Loki counted his silent victory internally, noting with a sense of achievement that his own brother's fiance was indeed attracted to him.

Jane laughed nervously as the woman searched through a catalog with one hand and grabbed some measuring tape with the other. Loki noticed the haphazardly pinned name tag on her breast that read "Sif".

"I'll take your measurements now if you don't mind." Sif said, stepping outside of the counter.

"Oh, of course, darling." He gave her a quick wink.

Jane raised an eyebrow incredulously. When she had first met Loki, he seemed so shy and in only the past few hours, he had revealed himself to her half-naked and flirted with a woman he'd just met. She had to admit, he was a bit of a charmer.

Sif overtly rolled her eyes at Loki's flirtatious attempts and wrapped the tape around his chest. She wrote the measurements one by one on a little notepad held by an apron tied around her waist.

"I'll go get a few suits for you in the back. You can wait in the dressing room right over there." She pointed to a stall with black silk curtains.

"Thank you." Loki answered as Jane sat down in one of the many expensive-looking leather sofas in the shop.

Within a few minutes, Sif was back, draping several suits over the bar that held the dressing room curtains up. "Tell me how those work for you."

Loki muttered a few words of gratitude and began to undress himself. His eyes moved automatically to the suit including a blazer with a tail that would reach his knees. Curiously, he removed the white shirt that matched it from its hanger and buttoned it on himself. Next, he slipped on a pair of slim black pants, deftly tied the black tie around his neck, and finally, shrugged into the long blazer.

His face lit up immediately and he could not contain the grin that was forming on his thin lips. Never in his life had he looked more powerful. He raked his fingers through his dark messy hair, letting it fall onto his shoulders.

"You doing alright?" Sif's voice came from outside the curtain. "Do you need anything?"

"Shoes," Loki said, glancing at his bare feet in the mirror. He resolved that he couldn't let Jane see him until this look was complete. "I need shoes."  
>"We can look at some shoes after you've tried on a few-"<p>

"No, I must have them now."

"Um," Sif said unsurely. "Do you want to come out and pick a pair then?"

Loki thought for a moment and then smiled. "Tell Jane to pick some for me."

"Is she the-"

"Yes," Loki answered quietly. "The beautiful woman I came here with."

Sif nodded to no one in particular, and walked to Jane who was sitting patiently with her hands folded on her lap.

"He, uh," Sif bit her lip. "He wants you to pick out some shoes for him."

"Oh." Jane said, a little surprised. "Could you.."

"Yeah." Sif answered abruptly, motioning for Jane to follow her.  
>They went through a short, enclosed hallway that led to a wide, rectangular, carpeted room that held an array of men's leather shoes. The selection lined the walls of the room, and in the clear, near-bare center, lay four small couches.<p>

Jane stepped toward the wire rack right across from her and carefully brushed her fingers along a few matte leather shoes and then downward to some glossy ones.

"What's his style?" Sif inquired, circling comfortably around the room with an attitude that implied that she knew of every single shoe in her vicinity.

"I'm not sure." Jane said, moving along to the next rack.

"How could you not know?" Sif frowned, perplexed. "Isn't he your husband?"

Jane whirled around swiftly. "No!"

Sif took a step back as though Jane's answer had a physical impact. "Sorry, I just saw your ring, and how he referred to you-"

"He's my broth- My future brother-in-law-" Jane stammered. "I-I'm marrying his brother."

"Sorry, I thought-"

"Its ok." Jane dismissed her and turned back to the shoes.

She held one hand to her flushed face, wondering how that had made her so flustered. Sif had only asked a simple question. She gazed down to the opposite rack of shoes and found a narrow, black pair that seemed so unbelievably like Loki. The tips tapered into a square toe and the leather was sewn so artfully. She grabbed them, almost in a trance and took them to Sif.

"These." She said. "These are perfect."

"Good choice." Sif approved with a polite smile.

"How did he refer to me?" Jane asked quietly as they exited the room.

"Huh?" Sif replied.

"You said, uh," Jane tried. "You said you thought my brother-in-law was my husband because of the way he referred to me. What did he say?"

The saleswoman laughed under her breath. "He said you were beautiful."

"He…" Jane trailed. "Oh."

She mentally scolded herself. _Why did it even matter what he said?_

Sif grabbed a pair of thin black socks behind a counter and placed them, along with the shoes, under the curtain of Loki's dressing room.

"Thank you, darling." Loki spoke in his naturally velvet tone.

The two women waited outside patiently as Loki laced up his shoes and straightened himself out. The curtain flung open with an robust swing of Loki's arm. His skinny frame looked no longer weak but almost otherworldly, as though he was a delicate dark prince from another dimension. Jane stared for a moment, speechless.

"I don't think it's really necessary for me to try on the others." Loki snickered, ruffling his long blazer.

"Yeah," Jane said, her voice coming out as mere breath.

"So you'll be taking this one then?" Sif asked.

"Yes, with these shoes." Loki affirmed.

"Alright, let me just check the tag and I'll set up a bill for you guys." She pulled a small rectangular paper out of the back of Loki's jacket and then proceeded to her counter.

Loki approached the wordless Jane and touched her shoulder gently. "I can't thank you enough for this. No one's ever done anything so kind for me."

She stood up suddenly, realizing that the space between them was all too small. "Loki," Her voice croaked. It wasn't what she meant to say at all. 'You're welcome' or 'it's no problem' were what her mind had told her to say but that wasn't what had escaped her lips.

Loki frowned out of concern for her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes! I just-" Her gaze flitted downward to the floor. The only thing that kept playing in her mind was a scene from _The Great Gatsby_. She had read the book countless times in her life. In this particular scene in Gatsby's house, Gatsby had flung an array of illustrious shirts onto his bed and Daisy had been so overwhelmed with the loss of this life with him that she burst into tears. When he asked what was wrong all she could say was that she was sad because she'd never seen such beautiful shirts before.

Jane folded the creases on Loki's blazer and spoke in a dreamy tone. "It's just made me sad."

"Sad?" Loki grasped her hands from his chest and held them sympathetically.

_Because this should have been your life_, she thought. But, she knew she couldn't say that. He knew that already, and his recent reunion with Thor had reminded him of it even more. A rotating rack of scarves overwhelmed her peripheral vision, and she quickly grabbed a green scarf and came back.

"It made me sad that you didn't have a scarf to go along with this." Her face creased with a mixture of a grimace and a smile.

Loki felt the gold embroidery on the scarf with admiration. "Now it's complete." He said happily.

"Beautiful." She said under her breath.  
>"Hm?" He responded, removing the scarf so he could give it to Sif.<p>

_It looks beautiful_, she thought, but instead, "You're beautiful" were the words that came out of her mouth.

Loki's eyes widened in surprise, the green flecks in their irises becoming all the more visible. He blinked, not sure what to say.

"I-" She started but was interrupted by Sif.

"I've got the bill ready!" She announced.

Loki and Jane walked together in the counter, and Jane proceeded to pay for everything on the list. Loki surreptitiously stared at Jane the entire time, taking in every feature. Every curve and slope of her face, every crease in her lips.

_You're beautiful_, the words played again in his head. _You're beautiful_.


	4. Chapter 4

"Loki picked out a lovely suit, you know." Jane said as she leaned on the edge of Thor's desk.

"Mhmm." He noted passively, flipping through papers.

Jane bit her lip for a moment, analyzing her gruff husband surrounded by piles of work. "Why don't you like him, Thor?"

Thor hesitated, and then set the papers he was studying so intently back on his desk. "Why don't I like Loki?" He echoed.

She nodded. "I feel this awful tension whenever you guys are near each other. And now that I've actually started getting to know him, he's…" Her sentence trailed.

"Overdramatic? Obnoxious?" Thor suggested.

"No, Thor, he's wonderful." There was a glint in her eyes as she said it, and just a hint of a smile teased the corners of her mouth.

Thor let out an exhausted sigh. "I don't have time for this right now, I'm sorry. I have so much to get done." He gestured to the papers on his desk with endless lists of houses. "And I don't really enjoy discussing the topic of my brother. Go to bed, darling."

_Darling. _The word rang in her ears and left a bad taste in her mouth. It was the very same word Loki said countless times but for some reason it sounded so different coming from Thor. It was cold and hard and unfeeling.

"You're just dismissing me?" Jane snapped.

Thor rubbed his beard, exasperated with the situation already. "Jane, I have so much to do-"

"I'm going out." Jane hopped off his desk.

"Out?" He asked incredulously. "It's nearly midnight."

"Don't worry about it." She said by the door. "You've got _so much work to do._"

She slammed his office door behind her and headed out to her car. The reflection of the moon glistened on the dark red glossy paint of her ferrari. The car had been a gift from Thor for their three year anniversary. She'd said it was too much, and insisted that he keep it. However, he would not back down, and in the end she accepted. Four months later, she moved in with him.

Jane turned the dial of the radio until she stopped at a station that was playing "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. The sound of music concealed the noises of bumps her car hit and the whirring of the engine. She didn't know where she was going. She just drifted into town until she drove past the suit shop she was at earlier and stopped abruptly. Luckily, there were no cars around at this time, and she continued on unscathed.

Just like that, all the memories from today flooded into her mind. Loki sitting meekly at her dining room table, walking into the closet and finding him nearly unclothed, the kiss on her cheek, the elegant suit that formed around his body with such grace.

_I could go to see him._ The thought left as quickly as it came. It was a ridiculous proposition. It was beyond inappropriate, and Thor would definitely not approve.

But, something inside her was pulling her there. A small tug at her heart and ache in her chest. A rush of adrenaline coursed through her hands, and she gripped the steering wheel tightly. She would go.

_Just a few minutes, though. No more._

But even she knew that was a lie.

**/**

Loki rose from his couch in a bout of confusion. Who on earth could be ringing his doorbell at this time in the night?

Overbearing light streamed in from the hallway and Loki had to squint to see who was there. He gaped at the sight in front of him. "Jane? I-" He gestured inside. "Come in. Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She tentatively stepped into his apartment. _No going back now, _she told herself.

"Would you like me to get you something?" It sounded uncomfortable coming from him. Small talk clearly wasn't his forte.

Jane shook her head. "No, I just came to see you."

He blinked, tucking a lock of dark hair behind his ear. "Oh, alright."

Noticing the paint-stained apron he was wearing, she jumped at the opportunity to avert the conversation to something else. "What were you painting?"

He lit up from the mention of his art. "Let me show you." Taking up a canvas not too far from them, he held the frame in front of his torso. _Acrylic_, Jane noted. A number of haphazard brushstrokes streaked into a whirlwind of color that made up the face of a blonde woman. A gray dress fell loosely on her arms, exposing her shoulders.

"Loki, that's incredible." Jane beamed. "Who is she?"

Loki's expression darkened as he took the canvas back to its easel. "She was my mother. Her name was Frigga." He lightly stroked the frame of his canvas, taking care not to smudge the wet paint. "She died when I was very young. I don't remember her at all...only seen a few pictures."

"Oh." Jane wasn't sure how to respond. That was definitely unexpected. "Thor told me about your mother. But, I…" She paused for a moment. "I didn't know that was her. I'd never seen any pictures."

Loki took one last glance at his mother, and then turned back to Jane. "You said you wanted to ask me something today."

"Yes, I was going to ask you what happened with Thor all those years ago. What pulled you apart?" Loki's face grew even paler. "But, you don't have to answer if you don't want to." She added quickly.

"No, no, it's fine." He waved her concerns away. "Here, come to the living room."

The 'living room' was only two steps away and connected to the kitchen, but Jane followed anyway. They sat side by side on a tattered couch, and Loki took a few breaths before beginning his story.

"You don't have to tell me." She insisted.

He placed a hand over hers gently. "I want to."

Her pulse lurched and she pulled her hand away quickly, folding it over her lap. Loki smirked at her reaction, puffing air out of his nose.

"My brother and I got along well as children. We had a lovely life. Of course, we had to- we lived like royalty. My father spoiled us both, but I could always tell he had a greater liking for Thor. As a teenager, it became even more clear how much Odin favored Thor. When I decided I wanted to be an artist, Odin was extremely displeased. He sent me to art school as I wished but he never visited me or asked me to come home even though I was miles away in New York. I guess that animosity towards me sort of spread to Thor. He called me the first few weeks of college, but that stopped gradually. Once I finished art school, I came back home and my father begrudgingly let me back in. Thor had already graduated with a degree in business a few years earlier and my father had employed him in Asgard Real Estate. I lived in his house for about a year until he forced me to go out and finance myself with my art. That's when I bought this apartment." He gestured around him. "Thor would come by to say hello every now and again but it was awfully formal and stiff. He would talk to me like a stranger. I think he only did it to ease his conscience.

"Three years after that, Odin passed away from a heart attack. In his will-" He winced as though it physically hurt him to remember this. "In his will, he left everything to Thor. His house, his cars, his company, his fortune. Everything. I inherited nothing. Thor came here to see me that day, apologizing for my misfortune and telling me that if father wanted it this way, this was the way it had to be. An unknown rage exploded from within myself and I punched him right in the jaw. He retaliated, though not with his full strength. He knew I was hopelessly frail compared to him. We did this pitiful dance for about fifteen minutes until the broken skin on my knuckles was pouring out blood." His hand rose to show the scar. "Now alone, I was left to deal with my father's death and the realization that he never really loved me. I always had this miniscule hope inside me that my father truly cared about me. That one day he would tell me to come home and he would love me the same way he loved my brother. But, that will made everything clear. I started to develop an anxiety disorder. I've had times where I didn't sleep for three days straight because I just- the attacks wouldn't stop. And, then when you and Thor came to see me- well, I hadn't seen him in two years, Jane."

He was broken. Completely broken from all that his own family had done to him. Jane hesitated at first, shifting awkwardly on the couch. The cushions creaked underneath her as she leaned over and threw her arms around Loki's neck. His arms moved slowly and unsurely to her back, returning her embrace.

His breath caught in his throat as he attempted to cease the stinging threat of tears in his eyes. "I don't know how to see myself as anything more than a worthless failure anymore."

"Loki," Jane breathed, pulling away to study his face. His eyebrows folded into a creased and agonized mess on his forehead. The beginning of tears fell into the hollows under his eyes. And there was a strained apathy fixed on his lips as though he was trying to feign to Jane alone that he was still alright. "Don't-"

"Can I-?" Loki interrupted, moving closer to her and sweeping her hair away from her face with a trembling hand. His gaze flickered down to her mouth swiftly.

"Y-yeah." She stammered.

"Are you sure?" He asked, wiping the moisture from his cheeks.

She nodded, although she still wasn't quite sure she should be agreeing to this. The gap between them closed and Loki pressed his lips gently against hers. His tall, slim body enveloped her tiny figure, holding her, touching her, caressing her.

Abruptly, she pushed on his chest, breaking their kiss. "I can't do this. You know it's wrong."

"Please," Loki tried to regain their earlier state. "Jane-"

"He's your brother." Jane shook her head. "Thor is your brother. I have to leave." She stood up from the couch, walking quickly to the door.

"Jane!" He grabbed onto her arm just before she could unlock the door. "I'm sorry."

She paused, caught between the hallway that led to her car, that led to Thor, and the doorway that led to a beautiful, dilapidated man. Then, with an overwhelming desire, she reached up and kissed him one more time.

And it was wrong. It was so wrong. And the fireworks exploding in her head were wrong, and the adrenaline rushing through her body was wrong, and the feeling of wanting him closer, wanting more of him, was so undeniably wrong.


	5. Chapter 5

Jane pushed the door to Thor's study open gently. He lay asleep in piles of papers, pen in hand. His golden hair gathered in a neat ponytail behind his head and he still wore his immaculately ironed suit.

_What have I done? _

Immediately after driving off in her car, she began to regret kissing Loki. She had been taken over by a silly infatuation, that was all. She had fallen for a tragic story and intriguing face while her fiance was here taking care of her and making sure all her needs were met. Sure he was corrupted by his father's influence, but he was still good at heart. And he loved her.

"Thor," She whispered. He stirred a little. "Thor." She said a little louder now.

He sprang up on his chair, scratching his beard. "Jane," He smiled adoringly. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I was just very stressed out by my work."

She nodded, turning around the side of his desk to sit on his lap. "I'm sorry for getting mad at you. I was being so childish."

He planted a soft kiss on her head. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."

"It's okay." She muttered.

In that moment, she let go of what happened tonight even though it left her with a painful guilt. She would no longer pursue Loki. Of course, she still felt an attraction to him, but that could easily be ignored. Maybe.

**/**

Loki laughed to himself, exhilarated. He had just kissed Jane, _Thor's fiance!_ How insane was that?! And she had even kissed him again after saying she had to leave. Oh, this was perfect. This was just too perfect.

He hadn't counted on Jane having such a weakness for him. Now he had the center of Thor's life right in the palm of his hand. He could take her with ease. But, that wasn't enough.

If Loki was going to destroy him the way Thor had destroyed Loki, he needed to go further. To take Jane from him would be devastating, but keeping Jane's loyalty considering his lack of finances would be difficult. He needed to usurp Thor in the exact same way he had done to him. He would build an empire, build a fortune, and then he would take Jane. He would allow Thor to watch as he rose to power, Jane on his right arm.

But how?

With his art, of course. With the same thing that Thor had looked down on him for. Being Odin's son, Loki had learned business strategies from a very young age, so a plan was quickly forming in his mind.

He would paint portraits. In this age, people were in love with all things from the past. Painted portraits today would be seen as a stylish salute to the renaissance. But he needed marketing and didn't have a penny to pay for it. So, he decided his target consumer would be the wealthy female teenager. They would have enough money to purchase his work and also the technology and social media to share with their friends. When their friends saw these new portraits they would beg their parents to have one of their very own hanging in their home.

But, he needed something more. An incentive that would draw them in and really make them want to have their portrait done. Something that would make them enjoy the long wait of sitting as he painted their every feature.

Sex appeal.

It was laughable, but it was true. Although Loki wasn't arrogant in any way, he was aware that he was very attractive. He'd have to make himself look dark, slim, and mysterious enough for these teenage girls to swoon to their friends about how this hot artist had painted their portrait. They would post pictures on social media with him, excited about having met the man all their friends were talking about. And he would not have an art studio or any sort of formal business cards. With every portrait that he did, he would give the client a phone number beautifully scrawled on a piece of aging paper, so the experience would be so intimate and special.

He checked the time on the small LED screen of his microwave. 4:15am.

So close to morning. So close to exactly when schools would open.

He rushed to his computer, searching for private all-girls academies in the area. He scrolled through the search results until he found one only a few miles away called 'Jotunheim Private Girls Academy'. _Perfect._

He dashed to his closet and found his best white button-up shirt and some black dress pants. He didn't own any ties or blazers to go with it, but he supposed this was alright on its own. Next, he grabbed a pair of leather ankle boots and slipped out of the closet to his bedroom. Working some gel into his dark hair, Loki smoothed back every strand until it looked perfect.

_One more thing._

He rummaged through endless stack of canvases in his closet until he found the painting of Odin he had done as a teenager. Then, with a maniacal grin on his face, he swiped a drill from the tools in the corner of the space.

"Father!" He said aloud to himself, strolling into his living room. "Wouldn't you be proud of your son now?" Holding the canvas steadily on the wall, he drilled right through the frame until the screw reached the plaster.

Quickly, he gathered his art supplies into a leather messenger bag and started his journey to revenge.

_To Jotunheim._


	6. Chapter 6

"Ms. Lewis will see you in a moment." The secretary said, motioning for Loki to wait in the seats not too far away from them.

"Thank you, Mr.-?"

"Hogun."

Loki nodded and sat down on one of the wooden chairs, setting his bag down next to him. For a moment, Loki felt as though he had gone a little out of his league. The office had mahogany file cabinets and the secretary's desk was made of the same medium. The carpet was absolutely spotless, stretching across the room in its dark green hue like an indoor forest. A few girls passed by the open doorway and Loki noticed their crisply ironed uniforms consisting of a white shirt with a round collar that hosted a purple bow, a short gray pleated skirt, black leather shoes with just a hint of a heel, and white folded socks with frills that brushed against the the ankles of their shoes.

The place was impossibly posh, but it seemed that Loki would always be drawn to places like this. The upper class was forever imprinted in his blood.

A short woman with plump lips and a spring in her step entered through the door behind Mr. Hogun's desk. She thrust out her hand for Loki to shake. "Darcy Lewis, Principal of Jotunheim. Nice to meet you."

Loki stood, returning her handshake. _Think of a name. Think of a last name. Something catchy that people will remember. An alliteration. _"Loki Laufeyson." He beamed in pride for coming up with a name so quickly.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Laufeyson?"

_Time to turn the charm on._ He swept his hair out of his face, careful to move his neck so that his strong jawline was visible. "Well, darling, I'm a portrait artist you see."

"Cool! Let me see!" She lit up with an almost child-like excitement, grabbing at his messenger bag.  
>He snickered, slipping a few portraits out and handing them to her. "I just wanted to see if any of your students would be interested in-"<p>

"Damn! You're amazing! Hogun, check this out." She showed her secretary the drawings.

Hogun nodded with approval. "You're very talented."

Loki bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much."

"Do you have a job- Mr.- sorry I forgot your name, what was it again?" Darcy asked.

"Laufeyson. But please, darling, call me Loki."

She gave him a lopsided grin. "Do you have a job, Loki?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm a freelance artist, Ms. Lewis."

"Please, darling, call me Darcy." She giggled, mocking his tone.

Hogun scoffed from behind them. "Considering him for that new position?"

"Yes, actually." Darcy raised an eyebrow at Loki. "Would you be interested in being an art teacher here? Our last art teacher left just a few weeks ago, so we have an open position."

This was simply going too well. An opportunity to meet the students _and_ their parents would give him even more of a chance to build up his business. "Yes, I'd love to teach at your school."

"Alright, kid, you start today." She smacked him on the back.

"Pardon me?"

"Oh yeah, _papers_." She rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Hogan, get the guy the forms he has to fill out and someone to show him to the art room. Also, tell that sub he can go."

"Will do, Ms. Lewis." He rolled out one of the file cabinets.

"Wait," Loki glanced from Darcy to Hogan. "You're not serious. I'm starting today? No interview? No background check? No resumé?"

"Nah," Darcy waved him away. "I trust you. Welcome to Jotunheim." And with that, she exited to her office.

Loki stood in awe as Hogun gathered his papers with one hand and picked up the telephone with another.

"She's known for her unorthodox methods." Hogun explained quietly, sticking the phone between his ear and his raised shoulder. "She's a little eccentric."

Loki closed his mouth, only realizing now that it was hanging open. "Yes, I can see that."

Hogun muttered a few words into the phone and a couple minutes later, a tall, skinny girl appeared at the door. A glimpse of the purple bow that should have been around her collar hung out of her pocket and her shirt was unbuttoned casually at the neck. Her body weight shifted from one leg to the other impatiently as her hips unfolded the pleats of her cleary rolled up skirt. She absently ran her fingers through the waterfall of blonde hair that reached her waist, eyeing Loki.

"Sigyn, this is Mr. Laufeyson." Hogun explained. "He's going to be the new art teacher here from now on. Would you mind showing him to the art room?- and please, for the love of God, child, could you be in uniform for _one_ day?"

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal." Loki interjected. "You, as well as the other students, can refer to me as Loki."

"Alright," The girl smirked, leading him out of the office. "This way."

"Uniform, Sigyn!" Hogun called after her.

"Yeah, got it." She waved him away.

They walked in unison down the bright hallways lined with giant glass windows. The floors were made of a timber tinted with red, and the same material filled the boundaries between each window and stretched up to the high ceiling that was carved into an intricate wooden canopy. The school was simply extraordinary.

"Can I tell you the truth?" Loki muttered. "I'm awfully nervous."

Sigyn nodded, gazing at the scenery outside. "You should be."

He let out a breathy laugh. "That doesn't make me feel much better."

"Can I see this?" She asked, snatching Loki's messenger bag from him before he could reply.

"Yes, I suppose-"

"You draw people?" Sigyn raised an eyebrow at him questioningly.

"Yes, it's pretty much all I draw." He replied amiably.

"I hate people." She shoved the drawings back inside the bag and draped the strap over his shoulder.

"You mean you hate drawing people?"

"No," She rubbed at the black eyeshadow under her eyes. "I just hate people."

Loki opened his mouth to reply, but just then, they turned down a small corridor and Sign pushed open a door that had a rectangular gold plate bolted to the door stating "Art Room". As Loki entered, the sound of chattering died down and soon the girls were whispering amongst one another giggling.

"Could you please quiet down for a moment, girls?" Loki placed his bag on a wide desk that faced the rows of tables topped with sketchbooks and pencils.

"They're just excited about how attractive you are." Sigyn took her seat, scraping her chair against the floor loudly.

The girls' giggling got even louder, and a few girls next to Sigyn started nudging her and blushing. It was then that Loki remembered his plan. This whole business of getting a job had completely thrown him off task. He had to sell his artwork to these girls and he had to do it well. This was how he would rise from the ashes and plunge Thor's face in them.

"You all may refer to me as Loki." He announced, stepping slowly in front of the desk. The class quieted. "For our first day, we will begin to draw portraits."

The class groaned, and a few girls whispered "I'm awful at those."

"I believe you are all well capable of doing this, girls. This is a senior class, isn't it?"

The class nodded in unison. "Yes, I thought so. Now," He slipped some papers out of his bag. "In order to draw portraits, you must first develop the skill needed for it. Then, once you have acquired this skill," He held up the drawings for everyone to see. "You incorporate emotion." In his right hand, he held a charcoal portrait of Odin and in the other, a pencil drawing of Thor. "These two men betrayed me. You can almost see it, can't you?" He stroked the aggressive, liney shading and flecks of red paint. The girls nodded in a daze. "I want you to draw something so personal that you can't sell it as a service so that you can make a living. I want your drawing to be filled with so much emotion that it will almost force you into the title of a starving artist." He let out a laugh.

Sigyn kicked her feet up on her desk. "Is it all hatred? The emotion we can incorporate?"

Loki suppress the smile spreading on his lips. This was the question that will sell it. "Of course not," He moved to Sigyn's table. "It could be admiration." He bent himself at the waist, leaning over the table and looking intently at her. The other girls watched in awe. "You could study their features- their soft jaw-" He gently lifted Sigyn's chin. "Their refined eyes, high cheekbones, fairy-like nose," His eyes flitted to her mouth. "Their soft, pouty lips. And when you're drawing them, you could even feel like you're slowly falling in love with them."

And with that, Sigyn's tough facade broke and rouge flushed through her cheeks. The entire room erupted into flustered gasps and whispers. He had just charmed the entire room successfully.

He straightened himself and smoothed a hand over his hair. "I'd like all of you to choose a person you'd like to draw by tomorrow."

A red-haired girl piped up from the middle of the class. "Will you be drawing one of us?"

The rest of the class smiled shyly, dreaming about Loki drawing them. "Well," He leaned against his desk. "I'm glad you asked. If any of you are interested in me painting your portrait, I would be honored to. Of course, this will come with a price, but I assure you, it will be worth it."

_One step closer to beating Thor._


	7. Chapter 7

"You're not supposed to be on the phone during class!" Sigyn jumped at the opportunity to complain about Loki.

Loki let out an exasperated sigh. "Just a minute, Thor." He muttered into the phone. "Sigyn, would you please stop being an insufferable child and do your work?"

Her jaw dropped and she returned to her sketch. "Asshole." She whispered under her breath.

Loki rolled his eyes and continued his conversation. "So, brother, what did you need? It's very unlike you to call me."

A few heads shot up at the mention of Loki's brother. A few girls quietly giggled to themselves and there was a whisper- a little too loud- that was heard over the others. "I wonder if his brother is as hot as he is."

Loki turned to them over his shoulder and they all quieted cleared his throat over the phone. "Where are you exactly? I keep hearing voices in the background."

"At work." He replied nonchalantly.

"Work?!" Thor could barely contain his surprise. "Since when did you get a proper job?"

"Last week I got a job teaching at this private girls' school called Jotunheim."

Sigyn interjected. "It's not nice to talk about us like we're not here."

"Sigyn, please." Loki's lips tightened into a fine line.

"Sorry, I won't keep you long." Thor said hurriedly. "I was just calling to see if you could make it to my bachelor party tomorrow night."

"Your bachelor party?" Loki asked incredulously. "You're inviting _me_ to _your _bachelor party?"

"Will there be strippers?" Sigyn piped up.

"Damn it, Sigyn!" Loki slammed his fist on his desk. "Can you please be quiet for one minute?!"

"You're not supposed to swear at us. It's against the rules." She bit at the end of her pencil, looking amused.

"Hold on a moment, Thor." He placed the phone on top of the roll book.

In three quick strides he arrived in front of Sigyn's desk, looming over her. "Are you doing anything this afternoon?"

"No, why? Are you asking me out on a date?" She grinned. "I mean, I usually don't date older men, but I can make an exception."

Two pale fists slammed down her drawing, reverberating the table. "You have been nothing but a nuisance this past week and I've had enough of it! It's time you started taking me seriously. And if after school detention is what will make you learn your lesson, then so be it."

He heaved out a few breaths, his fury still lingering.

"I'm not gonna lie, you're kinda sexy when you're angry."

His eyes widened as he gathered up all the self-control he could muster in order not to start screaming at this girl.

"I feel like this is a bad time." A voice came from the door.

Loki froze, recognizing it immediately. Principal Darcy.

"Oh no, not at all." He spun around, trying to brush off what had just happened.

"If I'm not mistaken," Darcy raised an eyebrow. "Were you just shouting at Sigyn?"

Loki felt his heart pounding against his chest and his throat tightening. He absolutely could not lose this job. This was all he had. This was the only way he could beat Thor and win Jane over.

"I-" He began but was interrupted by the girl behind him.

"He was but I totally deserved it. I was kind of being a little shit." Sigyn explained.

Darcy didn't seem fazed by Sigyn's language. In fact, she relaxed immediately. "Well done then, Loki. Keep her in line." She smiled and shut the door, leaving the sound of her heels distantly clicking down the hall.

"A 'thank you' will suffice." Sigyn said, picking her pencil back up.

"I don't owe you any gratitude if you're the one who got me in trouble in the first place." Loki walked back to his desk, taking the phone in his hand.

"Anyway." He began, knowing very well that Thor had just heard that whole fiasco. "If the party is tomorrow, you're calling me on very short notice, aren't you?"

"Yes, well-"

"Jane told you to invite me, didn't she?"

"Is Jane your girlfriend?" Sigyn said timidly as though she was testing the waters.

"Sigyn, see me after class. So, Jane persuaded you to invite me, correct?"

There was a short silence. "I just forgot to call earlier."

"Just like you forgot to visit me for two years. Or how you forgot that I was starving in a shabby apartment. Or how you forgot that I've been struggling with an anxiety disorder for the past two years." He snapped.

"Loki…" Thor searched for the right words.

"Yes, I'll go to your fucking bachelor party and I'll go to your fucking wedding, but once this is all over I never want to see you again, are we clear?"

"Y-yes."

"And just know that I am doing this for Jane, not for you. Goodbye, brother." He hung up the phone, tossing it on his desk.

The girls gaped at him, not quite sure what to do. A few pencils had fallen out of limp hands and were now rolling helplessly over portraits.

"Ah-" Loki started, then dropped his gaze to the floor. "You- you all do remember those drawings of mine that I showed you on my first day?"

The class nodded slowly. "My brother, the man I was on the phone with, was one of those people." A few scared glances were exchanged. "Just forget that conversation, please."

The shrill bell rang and then girls gathered their belongings, exiting the stayed at her desk, awaiting whatever punishment her teacher had for her.

Loki paced uncomfortably. Speaking with Thor had brought up a lot of old emotions and that scare from Darcy had left him uneasy. First, he felt adrenaline crawling up the back of his neck and soon after, his hands were trembling. The air started to thin and he clutched his chest.

"Whoa," Sigyn got up from her chair. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm doing just fine." His vision swayed and the sting of tears threatened his eyes. "Fine, fine, just fine." He muttered, kneeling on the floor. His whole body tensed as he clenched his teeth, slowly rocking back and forth. Suddenly, he relived all of his troubles and felt every panic that they had induced as if they were happening right at that moment. "He didn't love me." Loki choked out. "He never even loved me! My own father! And now he's dead!"

Sigyn kneeled on the floor next to him. "Loki, should I call someone? Do you need some help?"

His panicked eyes darted to her. "I can't- I can't do anythi- Sigyn! I'm- I'm fine, I'm just-" A shiver ran through his body and tears freely fell down his cheeks. "Oh, God!" He yelled, falling forward onto his hands and knees. "Why does this keep happening to me?"

"Loki," Sigyn crooned gently. "Look at me."

He fell back into his earlier position, his legs folded underneath him. He bit his lip with too much force and tasted blood.

"Loki, come here." She whispered. "Come over here."

His breaths came quickly in and out of his mouth as he measured the short distance between the two of them. Without looking directly at Sigyn, he scooted forward.

She had been afraid to come to him in case of an outburst but he seemed to have calmed down slightly. She hesitantly outstretched her arms and wrapped them around him, holding his trembling body close to hers.

"Hey, it's alright. You're just having a small anxiety attack. Like you said on the phone, right? You said you had a disorder. But, it's okay. You're totally okay now." She rocked him back and forth like a child. "Do you have a class now?"

He shook his head over her shoulder.

"This is your free period?"

He nodded.

"Okay, that's good. Now, you have to stop breathing so fast if you're going to get better. Can you do that? Can you take a slow breath in and out?"

He sucked in a slow breath and exhaled hot air onto her neck.

"That's better. Just a few more of those. Do you want me to get you some water?"

After he didn't give her a response, she tried to move away but he held her tightly.

"Ok, guess not." His heart pounded against her chest with an alarming force and speed. "Just breathe in and out, really slow, okay?"

He nodded.

"That's great. Just like that. Damn it, Loki, you scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry." His voice cracked, coming out as merely a whisper.

"It's okay. You don't need to apologize." She tried to pull back from him and he let her this time.

"Please don't tell anyone about this."

"I won't." She strained a smile, still worried about his condition. "Don't worry."

She reached out for his chest to feel his heartbeat. Much slower this time.

"Thank you, Sigyn." He said, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "And I'm sorry about getting so angry with you in class today."

"Um," She glanced back at her backpack across the room. "Can you write me a note? I'm missing my class."

He let out a breathy laugh. "Of course, just help me up."

She gripped his forearms as he stumbled onto his feet. "Will you be alright if I go?" A crease between her eyebrows deepened in worry.

"Yes, I'll be perfectly fine."

She nodded and went to get her things, still not taking her eyes off him. He quickly scribbled a note and handed it to her.

"That was seriously scary as hell, man." She snatched the note.

"I know." He agreed. "For me as well."

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but then decided against it. Loki watched as the young girl's golden hair swayed over her shoulder and her pleated skirt brushed against the top of her thighs. She opened the door, pausing for a moment and then left a complete mess of a man behind her.

"You were the first." Loki whispered. "You were the first to ever help me through one of my hellish attacks." He smiled to himself and gathered his materials for his next class.


	8. Chapter 8

Loki sipped his drink awkwardly, hooking one thumb in his belt loop. Of course he was the first to get here. Of course.

"The rest should be here soon." Thor said, shifting on either leg.

"Mhmm." Loki glanced at the door.

"Enjoying your work?"

"Yes."

"Good."

They both let out a sigh.

"I think I'll get another drink." Loki excused himself even though his drink was nearly full.

"Yes, of course." Thor nodded to him.

Loki escaped into the kitchen, away from this dreadful situation he had gotten himself into. He threw out his beer into Thor's trashcan. He had never liked the stuff.

Like a gift from God, the doorbell rang and Loki was filled with relief. He left the room and went to greet Thor's friends. A man with golden hair and a neatly trimmed beard of the same color was shaking Thor's hand in the hallway. He noticed Loki and looked to Thor for an introduction. Thor hesitated, his disdain for his own brother clear.

"Fandral, this is my brother, Loki."

Fandral shook Loki's hand firmly, making direct eye contact with a small smile playing on his lips. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Loki shuffled with his arms, trying to find a comfortable place to put them while he stood. He grazed over his hips, but found that stance to intense. His arms fell to his sides, but soon felt heavy and awkward. He settled on his arms crossed over his chest, but really he had rather been sitting. Standing conversations were awfully uncomfortable.

"Tell me, Loki, what do you do?" Fandral leaned his head towards him slightly, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"I'm an art teacher at Jotunheim Private Girls Academy." He bit his lip. A teacher? That must have been nothing compared to what Fandral does.

"Jotunheim!" Fandral's eyes lit up. "My daughter, Sigyn, goes there."

"Oh." Loki's dry throat ached as he tried to swallow. "I- She is one of my students."

He scoffed, patting Loki's shoulder. "My apologies."

Now that the connection had been made, Loki noticed that Fandral's hair was the same shade of the gold river that brushed against the small of Sigyn's back.

"She's a strong girl, though." Fandral said fondly. "You could never even tell that she's sick."

"Sick?"

The door handle clicked and a cacophony of greetings came with it. Every single one of Thor's friends were dressed in unnecessarily expensive business suits. Once again, Loki felt incredibly uncomfortable because of his social standing. He turned to continue his conversation with Fandral, but he had already joined Thor in the kitchen to get a drink.

Although it wasn't something to be proud of, Loki contently sat on a corner of Thor's couch for the entirety of the night pretending to text people on his phone. He tried to find gaps in the conversations Thor was having but there was really no way to enter them. Every time he had opened his mouth to speak, Thor started a new subject and the cycle began again.

It was about ten 'o clock when Loki leaned back on the couch tiredly, throwing his head back in defeat. He never should have come here. It had been clear that this was a mistake since the moment he walked in and had that painfully awkward conversation with his brother.

A flicker of light flashed from the landing of the stairs and a shadow moved by quickly. Following its path, Loki noticed Jane creeping from behind a door and surreptitiously watching the party. He grinned at her and she whipped back against the wall.

"I'm going to go outside for a while." Loki rose from the couch, speaking purposely loud so that Jane could hear him.

"Not enough entertainment in here?" Fandral nudged him playfully.

"I think I just need some fresh air."

He walked to the sliding glass door, struggling for a moment with it, but eventually he found enough strength in his skinny arms to open it. The warm night air hit him with a force and he drank it in gratefully. Thor's back yard consisted of about three acres of wide open space and green grass. There was a sudden drop from the house down into the yard because of its placement on a hill. From up here it seemed like a black hole into nothingness. Loki smiled wickedly, giving into his childish urges, and ran down the hill into the large expanse of grass. He threw his arms out, feeling this warm breeze on his skin and through his hair. He turned to find a silhouette standing at the top of the hill.

Jane wrung the hem of her v-neck t-shirt in her hands. Her bare feet tipped over the edge of the hill as she tried to make her way down gracefully. After a few careful steps, the water droplets lacing the grass made the traction on her feet falter, and she slid down the hill. Her legs gave out and she came toppling and rolling down the hill until she stopped at Loki's feet.

"Don't." She warned Loki, sensing the laugh he was suppressing.

He helped her up as she brushed the dirt and fragments of grass off her clothing. "That was majestic."

She squinted her eyes, glaring at him. "Why did you ask me to come out here?"

"I did no such thing." He said with a gleam of mischief in his eyes.  
>"You said-" She stopped herself. "Asshole." She shoved him.<p>

He laughed, crossing his arms and stepping one foot to the side. "So why did you follow me out here?"

The playful aggression left her and she took on a sudden melancholic demeanor. "What happened last time…that was a mistake. I shouldn't have-"

"It never even happened." Loki made a motion like a wave pulling the memory away and out into an infinite sea where it would never be found again. "Don't make yourself feel so guilty about it. It's in the past and it clearly won't happen again. Plus, the wedding is coming soon. You should be concerning yourself with your future with Thor, not some meaningless kiss."

Jane's mouth tightened in a grimace. "You're right. It was completely meaningless."

They both nodded to each other, conspirators in their own lie.

"Thor tells me you're working as a teacher now."

He smiled fondly at his memories of the job. "Yes, I am. I love it."

"Why did you choose a girl's school?" She raised an eyebrow.

_Because I'm going to manipulate their emotions for the success of my art._ "It sort of just happened."

"Mmhm."

"Do you think we should go back inside?"

"We just got out here."

"Yes, I suppose."

They stared at eachother awkwardly, shifting their weight on either leg.

"Have any students been causing you trouble?" She tried to revert back to an easy topic. "I mean, I can't imagine private school girls causing much of a riot."

"No, there's one." Loki snickered under his breath. "She's trouble but…"

"But what?"

"She's kind of like a daughter to me. I guess that sounds kind of ridiculous." He shrugged. "I've only known her for a short time, but she's a wonderful girl."

Jane couldn't help but smile. "That's really sweet."

"But," A shot of hurt ran through his heart. He had been trying to forget this since the moment the words were uttered. "Her father, Fandral, has informed me that she's sick."

"Oh, you were talking about Sigyn?" She slumped her shoulders as though the weight of the conversation was physical. "Yeah, she has um…" The words caught in her throat. "She has terminal cancer. Fandral respected her wishes in not giving her chemotherapy so that her last days won't be lived without her hair. She's been taking enough medication so that she can stay in school but, soon…" She dug the nails of her right hand into her left palm. "She'll have to come home to…"

"To die." Loki's voice wavered.


	9. Chapter 9

"Almost done." Loki assured Sigyn, streaking peach colored paint across the canvas.

It was late in the night and Sigyn sat impatiently on the antique velvet couch, fidgeting from her forced stillness.

"This better be good." She huffed. "You've been working on this all day."

"Trust me, it will be. Your father is paying good money for this painting." _One thousand dollars to be exact._

"Speak of the devil." Sigyn's face lit up at the sight of her father entering through the side door.

"I just brought you two some tea." The corner of Fandral's eyes wrinkled in a smile. "It's been two hours since your last break."

"About time." Sigyn let out an exasperated sigh, tucking her legs beneath her and stretching her arms out on wide on the couch. She tugged at the hem of her white dress, pulling it over her crossed feet

Fandral set a silver tray holding a steaming pot and two teacups down on the table and went to survey Loki's work. The painting looked like something taken from the Renaissance and Sigyn fit in it perfectly. Fandral had designed his living room with antique furniture, old rugs and leather-bound books in elegant wooden shelves, so it happened to be the perfect setting for a painting.

Loki sloshed his brushes around in a stained plastic cup, a few droplets falling on the napkin beneath it. "Do you like it?"

Fandral sniffed, rubbing his beard. "Yes, I love it." He patted Loki's shoulder. "Thank you."

"Mr. Laufeyson!" Sigyn beckoned to Loki in a mock-English accent. "Would you care for a cup of tea with your favorite student?" Her pinky finger hovered over the delicate china cup as she took a sip.

Fandral gave Loki a shrug as if to say "kids…", and began his exit. "I'll be off then. Tell me if you two need anything."

"A glass of wine?" Sigyn blinked innocently.

Fandral simply shook his head, lightly laughing, and left.

Sigyn smacked the cushion next to her, sending dust flying. "If you don't get your ass on this couch in the next ten seconds, I'm getting that painting for free."

Loki wrung the water out of his paint brush with a paint-stiffened cloth. "I need to clean my brushes first."

"TEN, NINE-"

"Sigyn-"

"EIGHT, SEVEN, SIX-"

Loki stood, nearly knocking over the easel in front of him.

"FIVE, FOUR"

He slid next to her, reaching out for the teapot on the table in front of them.

"Glad you could join me." She smiled pleasantly.

The steaming tea filled the cup and Loki took a sip of the warm golden liquid. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah," She frowned. "I'm fine."

"I mean, are you okay right now? It's been a while, should I get Fandral to give you some of your pain medication?"

"He told you about that?" She rolled her eyes. "I don't want to take any right now."

"Are you sure, darling?"

She gazed at him over the rim of her teacup, the green in her eyes deadening. "How's the anxiety?"

"It's fine," He waved it away. "But, I'd rather not talk about it right now-"

"Yeah, I'd prefer not to talk about my illness too." She snapped back.

They sat in silence for a moment, drinking their tea. "I'm sorry. I never meant to offend you. I'm just worried about you."

Sigyn slurped the last bit of her drink and set the teacup on the table. "I have enough people worried about me, so please don't become one of them. I'm going to die anyway, so what's the point?"

"I see." Loki said softly.

"Hey," She said absently. "Can you braid hair?"

Loki laughed to himself. Him and his brother had kept their hair long their whole lives. As young boys, they would play with each other's hair and of course, braid it. "Yes, I can."

She turned her back to him and flicked her hair out with her hands, the long golden tendrils falling to her waist.

"You want me to braid your hair?"

"No, I just wanted to give you a nice view." She scoffed. "Yes, I want you to braid my hair, you ass."

"You know," He began to separate her hair into three sections. "You should show me more respect. I am your teacher after all." He knew it was futile, but it felt obligatory to say.

"Mhmm."

He gathered the chunks of wavy hair, weaving them at the nape of her neck. She let out a relaxed sigh, loosening her shoulders.

"When my brain decided to give up on me…" Sigyn said quietly, clearing her throat. "When I was only given a little more time in my life, they gave me the option of trying to prolong it. It'd be awful, though. Pain and humiliation and hair loss. I didn't want to go that way. I knew I wanted to die with my hair, that's what I kept thinking. I couldn't lose my hair. It wouldn't be me without it. Even though I see myself getting skinnier and feeling weaker, my hair is still vibrant and gold. It's the same as my father's, isn't it? I want to die as his daughter, his little girl." She tried to laugh, but it got caught in her throat. "It's strange, don't you agree? I'm seventeen and I'm telling you how I want to die. I should be planning my future, not my death."

Loki let go of her hair, the braid falling out from the lack of a hair band. He touched her shoulders gently and she compliantly turned to face him. Her eyes were rimmed with red. She wasn't quite crying, but the agony was clear on her face. She didn't look sad, just defeated. Her arms flung around his neck as she buried her head in his shoulder. Loki caressed her back, smoothing down the creases in her dress.

"You know why my father is asking you to do this painting, right?" She said, her voice muffled. "She wants to have something to remember me when I'm gone. So, when people come over and ask who the girl in the painting is, he can say it was his daughter."

It was clear that Sigyn hadn't had anyone to vent to before this, to pour out her feelings to. She had been acting calm and nonchalant because that was the only way everyone else wouldn't be in panic. She had to stay strong so that the people who loved her could stay strong too.

"I keep thinking about how I want to die, but I don't want to die. I don't want to." She shook her head, ruffling his hair. "I'm scared. I'm really really scared. I know I have to die. I know that's inevitable, but…but, why couldn't I have any say in it? Why is everything being decided for me, why is a date being set for my death and all I can do is wait for it?

"What's the point in this whole facade? Going to school and going to church and meeting people and pretending it's all okay and I'm a strong girl that's fighting her illness. None of it even matters anymore. All my possessions are worthless, my education is worthless, my family's money is worthless. That surely didn't save me from dying, did it? We can afford the best medical care you can get, but that's not going to save me. When it's terminal, death is the only resolution and that's the truth. No amount of money is going to save me. My father's big name isn't going to save me. I've been living on a cloud in my own world, thinking I could beat everything and get through everything because that's how the world makes it seem for people like me. But, it's not true. It's not true at all."

"I used to have a life like you, in luxury. But, my father died and gave his entire fortune to my brother. Appreciate what you've been blessed with Sigyn. The alternative is not pleasant."

"No." She pulled back from him. "_You_ appreciate what _you've _been blessed with. When you and your brother are old men, waiting around for your death like I am, that money won't mean shit. The money, the status, all of that means absolutely nothing. It's memories that matter. It's people. The number of checks he's gotten won't compare to the number of people you've laughed with and loved. Loki…want to know the real reason why the girls in my class love you so much? It's not because you're attractive. It's because you're not like every other rich, arrogant asshole that walks into our school. You're driven by your emotions and your passions. You have depth to you."

Loki bit his lip, feeling the tears stinging his eyes. "You're the wisest seventeen year old I've ever met. Scratch that. The wisest _person_ I've ever met." He scratched his jaw, his fingers trembling.

"Promise me something, okay?" She took his hand and cupped it in both of hers. "When I'm gone, I don't want you to ever envy your brother again. I know that him and your father wronged you, but crying over your poverty isn't going to make it any better. Remember what I've said to you. Promise me."

Hot tears spilled into the hollows under his eyes. The sides of his face wrinkled as he smiled. "I promise, Sigyn. I promise."


	10. Chapter 10

"A couple inches off the hem, then." The seamstress took a few pins from her mouth, securing them into Jane's dress.

Jane stared at herself in the mirror. She certainly looked beautiful, but she didn't look happy. The fitting material of the lace mermaid dress now felt suffocating. She tucked her hair behind her ears, turning to Darcy who was sitting in a wooden chair behind her.

"What do you think?" She asked, desperate to know if someone else thought this was completely wrong.

"I think you're really out of it, man." Darcy frowned. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I just…" She ran her hands over the lace. "Do you think I jumped into this too soon?"

"You're having _doubts?!" _Darcy leaned toward her, her hands smacking her lap. "You're having doubts at your dress fitting?! Are you serious?"

Jane bit her lip. She noticed the seamstress making judgemental expressions beneath her. "I mean, this is marriage. I'll be with Thor forever now." A fragment of a memory flashed through her mind. "I'll never be with anyone else."

"Well," Darcy darted her eyes to the side. "That's kind of what marriage is...hate to break it to you."

Jane shook her head. She couldn't believe it. Just a month ago, she'd get a rush of excitement just thinking about the wedding. But, everything changed when she had asked Thor about his family. He had told her the only immediate family he had was his brother, but they were no longer on good terms. She persisted on him inviting him, making him his best man, in order to amend what had happened between them. Then she had met Thor's dark negative. The skinny, black-haired, pale, beautiful man she'd soon call her brother-in-law. And he had been wronged by the man she thought was perfect. The valiant Thor with all his success and his string of friends. He had abandoned his brother in poverty and left him there to fend for himself.

"You alright?" Darcy interrupted Jane's thoughts. "You seem so upset. Will you be able to go to the wedding rehearsal tonight?"

Jane blinked and shook her head, getting out of her trance. "Y-yeah, I'll be fine."

The rehearsal. Loki would be there.

"If you need anything- _anything_ - I'm here for you, okay, kid? You didn't pick me as your maid of honor for nothing."

"Thanks." Jane forced a smile.

**/**

Loki fumbled for the key to his classroom, balancing his books and bags. He triumphantly found the right key, turning it in the door. To his surprise, the door was already unlocked. Tentatively, he pushed it open.

He took a step back with a jolt. Sigyn lay on his desk, her blonde hair cascading off the back. Her knees bent off the other side, her feet dangling limply. Her eyes were closed peacefully. Loki nearly screamed.

He ran to her frantically, dropping all his bags. "Sigyn!" He shook her by the arms. "Sigyn!"

To his relief, she stirred, blinking her eyes open. "Wha- oh, Loki." A corner of her mouth turned up. "Sorry, I broke into your classroom to take a nap."

"You-" He panted. "You what?!"

"This new medication my dad put me on is making me really sleepy." She stretched her arms out. "So I thought you wouldn't mind if I came in here."

"Sigyn, I thought you were…" He ran a hand through his hair. "Nevermind."

A light knock reverberated through the wooden door. A small girl stood there with two other friends, their hands folded shyly in front of them.

"You saw the post, didn't you?" Sigyn guessed.

"The post?" Loki asked. "What post?"

"You're internet famous!" The girl at the door squealed.

"I'm-what?"

Sigyn slipped her phone out of her skirt pocket, tapping on the screen intently. "Remember that picture I took of us with my painting?" Loki nodded. "I posted it on tumblr and it has 50,000 notes already."

"That's impossible."

She shoved the screen at him, pointing to the picture, which underneath now read "60,000 notes".

"60,000 now actually." She shrugged. "My followers are asking if you have a website. They want to buy your work."

_My goal._ He had completely forgotten what he had originally set out to do when he came to Jotunheim. But now, here it was staring him in the face, and all he had to do was go with it and he'd have his business. He could beat Thor, and with the artwork that his brother so despised. He would have a proper, respectable online business and it would give him a steady living.

"How do you make a website?" Loki inquired unsurely.

Sigyn scoffed. "Oh, hon."

**/**

Jane threw her bag and keys onto the couch as she entered the house. "Thor!" She called out.

Nothing. He must be at the office. She ventured down the hallway into Thor's personal office and went to the drawer in which Thor kept their photos. She slid out the glossy paper carefully, and plopped herself onto the carpeted floor with a thud. Flicking through the photos quickly, she took care not to spend too much time on each one. She wanted the photos to be like fragments flitting through her memory, reminding her of why she had fallen in love with Thor in the first place. Yet, every photo was an overt display of their own wealth; Jane with the car Thor had given her, Jane and Thor on vacation in Rome, Jane standing in front of their mansion with her arms outstretched. There was plenty of extravagance, but no photos of their own genuine, casual love. She rose from the ground as something caught her eye. In the file cabinet that Thor usually kept locked as completely confidential even to Jane, he had left the key in the lock by accident. Curiosity took over as she slowly turned the key and tried the first drawer out of three. It rolled out with the weight of dozens of file folders. She flicked through a few. They were simply payments to Asgard real Estate. The next drawer contained the same thing, but the last one held a single folder pushed all the way to the back of the drawer. Frowning, Jane took it out, flipping it open.

Thor's father's name was written on the top of the page, dated almost a decade ago. After reading through some of the legal formalities in the introduction, she found that this was his will. She suppressed as gasp as she read the next line.

_To both my sons, Thor and Loki Odinson, I leave Asgard Real Estate. _

Loki was supposed to inherit Asgard. Then why didn't he?

Jane carefully set the aged paper onto Thor's desk and read the only other page in the folder. It was a legal document, stating that Loki gave all ownership of Asgard to Thor. On the bottom of the page his signature was scrawled in black pen.

_But, Loki would never sign that._ Jane shook her head, disbelieving. The only other explanation was…

The front door began to clatter with the rustling of keys.

Jane stuffed the papers back inside the folder, slammed the drawer closed and turned the key back to its original position.

"Jane!" Thor called from the hallway.

She stepped out from the room in a daze, still not quite believing what she had just read.

"What's wrong?" He shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the coathanger.

"Nothing." She replied absently.

He couldn't have. Thor couldn't have plagiarized Loki's signature.

"You seem so shaken up."

He had the connections. He could have done it. It would have been easy for them to create another will, one in which Loki received nothing.

"Jane?"

For all these years, Loki should have been leaving in peace and financial stability. He wouldn't have had those severe anxiety attacks. He would have been happy.

"Jane, what's wrong? You're shaking."

"I'm going to Darcy's. I'll get ready for the rehearsal at her house."

He held the sides of her shoulders gently, inspecting her expression for any sign of what had happened. "Alright. I'll see you tonight, then."

"Is Loki coming to the rehearsal?"

"Yes, he texted me confirming that earlier today. Why?"

"Just wondering" She muttered. "I'll be off then."

As she exited the house, a warm breeze caressed her skin. She stood, paralyzed, on the porch, digging her nails into the palm of her hand.

"Oh, God." She whispered.


	11. Chapter 11

"What colors do you want the theme to be?" Sigyn asked, her laptop resting on her stomach and tilted downward for her to see. She was lying across Loki's desk as she had been this morning. School had been dismissed, but she'd stayed behind to help Loki with his new website.

"Green and gold."

"You seem pretty sure about that." She laughed. "No hesitation there."

"They're my favorite colors." He gathered some ebony pencils from the desks that students had been using earlier in the day.

"Damn it!" She barked suddenly.

"Did something happen to the website?"

"No, it's just...nevermind."

He continued collecting materials from the tables until Sigyn let out a cry of pain.

"Sigyn?!" He ran to her, turning her face to him.

She threw her laptop off her stomach, leaving to crash on the ground loudly. "Fuck!" Her hands encased the sides of her head. Loki helped her off the table, but she stumbled onto her knees, coughing. Her body heaved and vomit poured onto the floor.

"It's probably just this stupid new medication." She murmured. "Sorry about your floor."

Loki helped her up, but her legs gave out once again and she collapsed into his arms. She howled in pain and pulled at her blonde hair.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." He decided definitively.

"I'm dizzy." She whined like a small child.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the door, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time she left his classroom.

**/**

"I had no idea one of _my_ teachers was Thor's brother!" Darcy's exclamation echoed in the church lobby.

Her and Jane stood alone as they waited for Jane's cue to walk through the doors and down the aisle. The events of earlier were still permeated through every one of her thoughts and nothing could ever erase the words: "_To both my sons, Thor and Loki Odinson, I leave Asgard Real Estate."_

Both of them. They were supposed to be partners, brothers, owning the same company, reaping the same benefits from its success.

"I was just talking to Thor and he mentioned Loki being his best man," Darcy giggled. "I nearly flipped a shit."

"We're in church, Darcy."

"Sorry- I mean, small world, right?"

Jane smiled fondly at her friend, though her whole body still tensed with anxiety. "Right."

"So, I'm the maid of honor and he's the best man… do you know what this means? She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't sleep with one of your co-workers." Jane scolded her.

"So then," The wedding director opened the double doors of the lobby, continuing a sentence that had been started inside the Church. "The bride walks out." She gestured to Jane to move forward and she complied

She walked slowly as she would if it were her real wedding day until she noticed the empty space to the right of Thor. Loki hadn't shown up.

That couldn't be. He wouldn't avoid an event that had to do with the wedding. He hadn't missed a single one yet. He had even trudged through Thor's bachelor party willingly.

She quickened her pace to a fast walk, then swiftly into an awkward jog, trying to get to Thor.

"Please don't do that on the wedding day!" The wedding director called out from the opposite end of the aisle.

"What? What's wrong?" Thor caressed either side of her face gently. "What happened?"

She drew back from him instinctively. She didn't know for sure if Thor had been the cause of Loki's poverty, but it definitely seemed that way. It wasn't something she was particularly happy about, but she had to admit, after reading that will she didn't know how she could ever reverse her aversion to Thor. "Where's Loki?"

Thor furrowed his brow, his lips tightening into a thin line. "Not here. And I'm hardly complaining. Though, you seem so fond of him." His last words cut with a clear venom.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She took a step back.

"I received a call today. Loki's suit order is ready for you to pick up. It'd be nice to know when you use my own money to buy presents for my little brother." The 'little' wasn't a reference to their age, but rather a way to lessen Loki's importance.

"You told me yourself that it was our money!"

"Maybe if you put anything towards it, it would be." He crossed his arms, taking advantage of his height to make Jane seem smaller.

"I dropped out of school for you!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the church. Her tendons tightened and her temperature rose as she was taken over by fury. "You told me that you could support both of us and that you wanted me to enjoy my life! Don't you dare buy my affection with your money and then act as though I've stolen it!"

This was simply too much. She knew that if she was pushed any further, she would mention the will. Their friends stood in silence and the wedding director looked incredibly fearful that her clients would not end up paying her. Jane ran back down the aisle, through the lobby doors, and out into the front of the church. She breathed in the fresh air and allowed it to calm her down. A sudden ring from her phone startled her, and she answered.

"Loki?"

A a bit of nervous panting and muffled sniffling crackled over the phone. "I can't make it to the rehearsal, Jane. I'm sorry."

"Where are you? Is everything okay?"

"I'm-" His voiced cracked and dissolved into sobs.

"Loki, what happened?" She crooned softly.

"Oh God, why did this have to happen?" He was only speaking to himself now. "And now, of all times, fuck fuck fuck."

"Tell me where you are." Jane rushed to her car, fumbling for her keys. "I'm coming there right now."

"The hospital," Loki choked out, his voice strangled in sobs.

"Why are you at the hospital?" As soon as the question left her lips, she knew the answer to it.

"Sigyn," He said. "She's…"

"I understand." She swung the car door open and hopped inside. "I'll be there in a minute."


End file.
